When to Plant Tarragon in Downers Grove, IL

One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The best time to plant tarragon in Downers Grove should be figured out by reviewing the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Tarragon

Frost tolerance for tarragon: Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant: Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Tarragon can survive in very little cold which tells us that you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant tarragon
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant tarragon
Probably not a good time to plant tarragon

The earliest that you can plant tarragon in Downers Grove is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant tarragon and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your tarragon may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your tarragon indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Downers Grove. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Downers Grove may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Downers Grove you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your tarragon in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Downers Grove

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)October 15
Lowest Expected Low-15°F
Highest Expected Low-10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -10°F.

Plants to Grow in Downers Grove

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Downers Grove.